CHAPTER XXXI. 



THE RIVERS LUCE, BLADENOCH, CREE, FLEET, URR, DEE. 



RIVER LUCE. 



ANGLING SEASON: 25th February to 31st October. 

 NETTING SEASON : 25th February to 9th September. 



THIS river rises from two sources, both of which have their origin in 

 Ayrshire. The one, which is the more westerly, is called the Main 

 Water of Luce, the other is called the Cross Water of Luce. In 

 this district a cross water is a tributary which joins its main stream 

 at a cross angle, i.e. an abrupt, angle. The Duisk tributary of the 

 Stinchar has a cross water. There is also a cross water at the 

 source of the Tig. 



The junction of the two streams is at New Luce, six miles from 

 the sea. The total length of the river along the line of the main 

 water is 15 miles to the sea at the Bay of Luce. 



The Earl of Stair owns the two head streams. From the junction 

 downwards the water goes with the property of Dunragit. The 

 whole of the river is carefully preserved. 



The Luce is a pretty little river with a gravelly bottom, and a 

 fine succession of some 20 pools and streams in its lower section. 

 The water is distinctly peaty owing to the wide moorlands round 

 the sources, the rise and fall is often extremely rapid, and the pools 

 are liable to much change by the action of floods. The great pool 

 is certainly the Puddle Hole immediately below the railway viaduct, 

 and rather less than a mile from the mouth of the river. Here 

 great execution is done amongst the sea-trout in summer, most of 

 the fishing, or at least much of the successful fishing, being carried 

 on at night. As many as 100 have been taken before sunrise in an 

 August night. The Puddle Hole is the pool where fish running up 



